Our Process: a Hybrid Approach

Key Features of the Hybrid Methodology

Waterfall for Planning and High-Level Structure

• Upfront Planning and Requirements Gathering: In the hybrid approach, the project begins with a Waterfall-like phase where the high-level project requirements, scope, budget, timeline, and resources are carefully planned. This stage ensures clarity around the project goals, which is especially important when working on large, complex, or regulated software projects (such as healthcare regulation software).
• Clear Milestones: At the beginning, key milestones and major project phases are mapped out, providing a roadmap for the entire project, which can be essential for stakeholders who require a long-term view of the project’s progress.
• Documentation: Detailed documentation is typically produced during this phase, ensuring that there is a solid foundation and understanding of the core project goals and requirements.

Agile for Execution, Development, and Iterative Delivery

• Iterative Development: Once the overall plan and high-level requirements are in place, the development is handled using Agile principles. The project is broken down into sprints (short development cycles), where features are developed, tested, and refined.
• Continuous Feedback and Adaptability: Agile’s frequent feedback cycles allow for iterative improvement and adaptability, meaning the software can evolve with changing requirements, insights, or priorities.
• Sprint Reviews and Adjustments: After each sprint, there are opportunities to adjust the product based on stakeholder feedback, enabling incremental improvements and alignment with business needs.

Combining the Predictability of Waterfall with the Flexibility of Agile

• Fixed Project Framework with Flexible Execution: The project’s framework, budget, and key milestones are established using a Waterfall approach, providing predictability for stakeholders. However, the execution and development of the software are done in Agile iterations, allowing the team to adjust and improve the project without derailing the entire plan.
• Partial Release of Features: The hybrid model allows for partial releases of functional software early in the project lifecycle, similar to Agile’s incremental delivery, while keeping long-term project goals intact, as defined by the Waterfall method.

Phases of the Hybrid Methodology

Initiation and Planning (Waterfall-Like Phase)

• Comprehensive requirements gathering.
• High-level design and architecture.
• Detailed project planning, including timeline, budget, scope, and resource allocation.
• Key milestones and overall project roadmap are set.

Iterative Development (Agile-Like Phase)

• The project is broken down into smaller sprints or iterations (typically 2-4 weeks).
• At the beginning of each sprint, the team focuses on specific features or components.
• Frequent collaboration and feedback loops ensure the product meets evolving business needs.
• Sprint reviews at the end of each cycle provide insights and opportunities for course correction.

Release and Testing (Hybrid Phase)

• Following the Agile principle, working software is delivered after each sprint, but formal testing, validation, and quality assurance are done in line with Waterfall’s structured testing approach.
• Larger releases or final launches follow a more traditional Waterfall deployment phase, ensuring the overall product is fully tested and ready for market or regulatory approval.

Post-Launch and Continuous Improvement (Agile-Like Phase):

• Even after the final product is launched, Agile practices are used to continue iterating, fixing bugs, and adding new features based on user feedback.
• Continuous improvements and enhancements are deployed through shorter cycles, ensuring the software remains relevant and up-to-date.

Advantages of the Hybrid Approach

Balance Between Flexibility and Structure

• Predictable Milestones: The Waterfall phase provides predictability and clear milestones, giving stakeholders confidence in the overall project direction and key deliverables.
• Adaptability: Agile development allows flexibility to respond to changes in requirements, user feedback, and market conditions, preventing rigid adherence to a potentially outdated plan.

Improved Risk Management

With Waterfall’s upfront planning, you reduce the risk of misunderstanding high-level project goals, timelines, and budgets. Meanwhile, Agile sprints allow teams to uncover and address risks early on, during development, when they’re easier to fix.

Faster Time-to-Value

Agile sprints allow for incremental delivery of software, providing business value early in the process, rather than waiting until the final release, which is typical in pure Waterfall projects.

Better Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:

The Agile aspect of the hybrid methodology promotes regular collaboration between developers, business users, and stakeholders. This ensures that the software being built is in alignment with the organization’s goals and stakeholder expectations.

Handling Complex or Regulated Projects:

For industries like healthcare or finance, where compliance and regulations are critical, the upfront Waterfall planning phase ensures that all legal and regulatory requirements are accounted for from the start. Agile’s iterative process allows for continuous adjustments to meet evolving regulatory needs.

Trinora’s hybrid project management methodology blends the best of both Agile and Waterfall approaches. It offers the rigorous planning and clear milestones of Waterfall while embracing the flexibility, collaboration, and adaptability of Agile. This combination is particularly effective for custom software development, where our clients need both predictability and flexibility to deliver a tailored solution that meets evolving needs.

• Get in touch